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BioShock Infinite to get delightfully hardcore 1999 Mode photo

Do you miss the good old days, when a videogame wasn't a videogame unless you were forced to plan your life around it? When you couldn't just kick open a door and shoot everything inside, but instead had to peek through the keyhole, hack into the security cameras, set up fifteen ammo drones, and then wire the door to kick itself in? Well, BioShock Infinite has what you want. 

Irrational Games has announced "1999 Mode" after overwhelming fan demand. This new gameplay setting will bring back the glory days of titles such as System Shock and Deus Ex -- where planning, awareness and pragmatism are essential. 

"It’s not simply a matter of adjusting the difficulty sliders in the game -- the team went much further than that," said the studio blog. "Resource planning? If you’re to survive this mode, proper planning will be crucial. Combat specializations? You’ll need to develop them efficiently and effectively throughout the story; any weapon will be useless to you unless you have that specialization. Combat? You will need to carefully target every shot, and your health will be set to an entirely different baseline.

"Game saves? Well, yes, there will be those, but according to Irrational Games Creative Director Ken Levine 'there are game saves, and you’re gonna f***ing need them.'"

1999 mode will feature irreversible decisions that will make you "suffer" if you choose incorrectly. According to Levine, this is for "the oldest and most committed fans," so you old school nutjobs out there are in for a real treat. 

Sounds seriously tantalizing, right?








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Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize. Likes PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3 Meet the rest of the team



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69 comments | showing # 1 to 50
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next 50 comments

Occams electric toothbrush's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:02
Occams electric toothbrush
Bioshock Infinite news is good news in my waking world. Will definitely try this mode out after I beat the game using the normal parameters. Now if they will just announce what will come with the Collector's edition and let me pre-order that Murder of Crows bottle I will be a happy human being.
marktron's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:03
marktron
So this is probably how the developer wanted to release the game until they realized that if it is too hard, no one will buy it.

I played through Fallout: NV the first time on Hardcore mode, and I will probably play through Bioshock Infinite in 1999 mode. I love a challenge.
The Silent Protagonist's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:05
The Silent Protagonist
If that's in there, I hope this mode is open at the start because GIVE ME DEUS EXY-TYPE THINGS!
Morty's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:06
Morty
Nice
Chongomaster's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:08
Chongomaster
Bioshock Infinite just became my most anticipated game this year.
ScottyG's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:11
ScottyG
Not sure if that's all Bioshock needs to make it fun to play, but sure.
Chris Creo's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:12
Chris Creo
Come at me bro!
Ffordesoon's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:13
Ffordesoon
OMFGOMFGOMFGGGGGG

HHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG

I SO EXCITE
Eternal's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:13
Eternal
Bioshock infinite announces "how games should be played" mode.
Gorescream's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:16
Gorescream
excellent.

obligatory relevant picture.wav
Wedge's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:16
Wedge
Rofl. Is that really what it's called? Anyway SS2 is godlike, if this makes it more like that, lets go.
Chris Carter's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:17
Chris Carter
I'm glad Infinite has this. It'll make it much more enjoyable, and of course, it's just an option. Bioshock 1 was fun, but I had a ton of issues mechanically with the game.
donderkonijn's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:17
donderkonijn
GIMME> games today are for pussies.
Freakydemon's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:17
Freakydemon
Good of them to include the difficulty changes they added trough patches to Bioshock 1 at the start. Me gusta
Wedge's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:20
Wedge
Also I feel really old if games from 1999 are supposed to be too hardcore for kids these days. Anyway Irrational is awesome. I hope the PC version is well setup for that mode.
BoomingEchoes's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:20
BoomingEchoes
I do kinda miss those days. Those days were far from mindless. Sometimes lately I feel like I'm actually losing something by playing a game, even a great one, because they rarely make me think all that hard. Then I get sad :(
Fugly Duckling's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:25
Fugly Duckling
I honestly think this is how more games should do difficulty modes. Hard mode shouldn't be just like normal but the enemies hit harder. I'm glad Irrational knows how to do a hard mode, but more developers need to stop the lazy approach to difficulty.
Foggle's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:26
Foggle
HERE CUMS MY BONER

ALL OF MY MONEY FOR YOU IRRATIONAL GAMES
TheToiletDuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:28
TheToiletDuck
Awesome, i'm glad this mode is here. I won't touch it but i'm glad it's there. I'm too old for that shit.
Beechbone's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:30
Beechbone
Great news. Resource planning in modern games is a joke, I always play cautiously and save ammo or useable items for later and then I reach the endgame not using any of this because it was a cakewalk. BioShock Infinite, remains my most anticipated game this year :)
Sir Tobbii's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:32
Sir Tobbii
Yes. Oh yes. I will now buy this game.
OmnipotentBagel's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:33
OmnipotentBagel
Hopefully more developers start doing this. Sure, simply making the player easier to kill or adding more enemies makes the game harder, but it's difficulty in the form of simply being more likely to die. Difficulty which requires you to re-evaluate your playstyle? That sounds way more fun.

PS: Good lord is Elizabeth attractive! We need more Infinite news just for the headers.
mythbuilder's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:33
mythbuilder
Sounds awesome. I trust Irrational to deliver.
Pencoin's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:42
Pencoin
I love the nighties. Thumbs up!
SKSith's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:52
SKSith
I's scared.
Dancing Mad's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 10:58
Dancing Mad
I always enjoyed playing Goldeneye and Perfect Dark with enemy damage set to 1000%

Shot in the leg? You DIE
Enzi's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:00
Enzi
Fucking great news. I hope they really deliver with this mode!
Canadian Otaku Gamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:01
Canadian Otaku Gamer
Elizabeth, what have you been up to? You've gotten yourself all dirty. Come over here and I'll clean you up.
CaptainHowdy's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:02
CaptainHowdy
Sounds awesome.
ZeeJayTL's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:05
ZeeJayTL
Give me this, rainbow 6 and mass effect 3, and leave me alone for 1.5 years. No other game can come out to distract me from these 3.
fulldamage's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:08
fulldamage
I kind of love AND hate this news. There is a part of my brain that is now trying to convince the rest of me that I should play in this mode first, which would probably be super frustrating. And I'll probably do it anyway.
Discount Tent Ed's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:13
Discount Tent Ed
Needs more blind jumps and unforeseeable traps #nintendohard
jimboxxx's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:18
jimboxxx
So they gona nerf ammo and increase enemy health? Sounds retards. there is reason why peeps dont play games like SysShock and old Deus Ex u know. Im with Sterling on this one NOT FUN AT ALL
jimboxxx's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:23
jimboxxx
sorry typo *sounds retardED*
Mr Andy Dixon's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:25
Mr Andy Dixon
I was 19 in 1999; the "good old days" for me were DOOM and Wolfenstein.

Still, this mode sounds fun! Loved Deus Ex and System Shock, and this sounds like a wonderful tribute to those types of games.
Panzadolphin56's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:26
Panzadolphin56
Sounds like a good idea.
Anti-jimmyx's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:27
Anti-jimmyx
That is the typo you choose to correct? My word.
Fearzone's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:28
Fearzone
For all the talk about games being harder in the old days, I can't remember the difficulty being much different. Some games were hard and some games were easy back then, and that is still true today.

Gameplay was maybe deeper back then, because it wasn't like all the effort was consumed with DX11 graphics and Havok physics--there was more time for more interesting gameplay. But there have been good and bad and hard and easy games always.

Bioshock was remarkable for its interesting world and not its gameplay, which was pretty meh. So, I guess we will see if they have it within them to balance a hard mode right.
jimboxxx's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:30
jimboxxx
Its totally optional right? I just hope this is optional without any cool achievements like if they make it like u cant get 100% achievemnt without beating this masochist mode then ill be seriosly pissed NUFF SAYD
JoeTheProYaKnow's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:32
JoeTheProYaKnow
Well it sounds like it changes some mechanics of the game, therefore I am in. I am not a fan when game difficulties just increase enemy HP to crazy levels and my damage to nil or something like that. Modes like hardcore mode in Fallout NV and, from the sounds of it, this mode here are freaking awesome. Give me a reward in the form of new game mechanics or honest strategical thinking and I will play at whatever difficulty you want me to.
jorbams's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:38
jorbams
Being an insanely huge Bioshock fan, I find this decision a little puzzling. Based on anything any of the devs said about Bioshock, it was the evolution of System Shock: no weird, insane difficulty spikes, no specializations that fucked you if you misspent one point in the wrong skill tree, etc.

I guess this is the knee jerk reaction to people bitching about the respawn tubes in Bioshock? I don't know, personally, I'll take pacing and fun over masochism, but that is just my opinion.

As the name implies, this seems to be the video game equivalent of "the 90's are cool again!" mentality that is every where else. Quicksave/quickload was bullshit back in the day and it took you out of the experience, it became a constant, sweaty eye darting marathon between your life bar and your ammo count.

It is an optional mode so I am not going to get angry about it or anything, I just think that this is a new gaming fad we're in; this whole virtual cock and ball torture video game difficulty. A few years from now, it'll be back to split second respawn tubes.
Isay Isay's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:40
Isay Isay
PAGING ANTHONY BURCH
Handy's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:49
Handy
I don’t know, Bioshock’s gameplay has always been really ”loose” for lack of a better term, if they haven’t sorted out that issue then 1999 mode could be a lot more frustrating than intended.
redsun's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:49
redsun
I'm trying hard not to get my hopes up too high for this game. This news is not helping.
GoofierBrute's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 11:52
GoofierBrute
Sounds like something I would try, but it isn't something that's going to make me change my mind about the game one way or another. Then again, I already knew I was going to buy Bioshock Infinite from the moment it was announced.
Peteru's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 12:05
Peteru
Sweet!
I've been recently playing games on normal difficulties, as to... waste less time playing them. This will not be the case with new Bioshock.
slbr's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/19/2012 12:49
slbr
Challenge Accepted. Will finish in normal, then 1999 Mode.
Gotta buy, day one now
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